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What is EC?
EC (Electrical conductivity) is a measure of the soil's ability to conduct electrical current, expressed in milliSiemens or deciSiemens per meter. Since the conductivity of water depends on the dissolved ions within it, EC also expresses the rate of salt dissolved in water. In other words, it is the salinity value of the water.
Why is it Necessary to Know the EC Value?
Regardless of which plant you are growing, one of the most important values you should know is the EC level of the soil, i.e., its nutrition. Various fertilizers are used for this. The benefit of fertilizer to plants is that it contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and many other elements. However, these elements are not in pure form, but are usually compounds, and many of them are chemically salt types. Soil nutrition is carried out through these salts.
When you test your nutrient solution, if the solution has the reference EC value of the plant you are growing, it indicates that you are feeding your plant in the correct ratio. If the EC value is high, there is a risk of over-fertilization; If the EC value is low, your plant is not being nourished enough. When you check the water seeping into your soil, if the EC value is high, you are probably not irrigating enough; If the EC value is low, you are likely irrigating more than necessary. In short, these values are of vital importance for the plant being grown.
What is the Effect of EC Value on Plants?
Sometimes, even if there is enough moisture in our soil, symptoms of thirst may appear in the plant. This situation is known as physiological drought and arises from the negative effect of soil salinity. As salinity increases in the soil, osmotic pressure also increases. The transition from a less dense medium to a denser medium is called osmosis. In plants, if the plant's sap is denser than the water around the root, the water around the root is absorbed by the plant, but if the water around the root is saltier than the plant's sap, the plant cannot accept this water. If the salinity value is very high, the plant's sap is sucked by this salty water around its roots and the plant remains dehydrated, causing it to dry out.
Each plant's salinity requirement is different, but in general, the EC value is classified as low between 0-2 mS/cm, medium between 2-4 mS/cm, and high between 4-8 mS/cm. If this value is high; it can cause negative effects such as preventing the plant from taking up water, negatively affecting microorganisms, slowing down or stopping plant development.
Plant EC (mS/cm)
Barley 8.0
Corn 1.7
Cotton 7.7
Sugar beet 7.0
Wheat 6.0
Clover 2.0
Tomato 2.5
Potato 1.7
Bean 1.0
Apple 1.7
Since the EC requirements of plants are different, for example, if we want to give a nutrient solution prepared for tomatoes to eggplant, we must reduce its EC from 2.5 to 2.0 by adding 0.25 liters of water to 1 liter of nutrient solution. We can think of the EC value as the amount of salt in 1 liter of nutrient solution.
If you intend to grow several different plant species together, the EC value of the lowest one should be taken as a basis. It is mostly sufficient for the plants to be between 1.6 and 1.8 for your EC value to be most efficient for all plants.
How to Measure EC in Soil?
There are several common methods for measuring the EC value of soil;
Handheld EC meter: A handheld EC meter is a simple and easy-to-use tool that measures the EC values of soil extracts. The meter is equipped with a probe inserted into the soil extract, and readings can be viewed on a digital display.
Laboratory analysis: soil samples are sent to a laboratory for analysis. Here, the EC value is measured using a conductivity meter. This method gives accurate results but can be time-consuming and expensive.
Soluble salt test strips: soluble salt test strips are paper strips soaked with soil extract. The color of the strip changes depending on the EC value of the soil extract, and the result can be compared with a color chart to determine the EC value.
Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI): ERI is a geophysical method that uses electrodes to measure the electrical resistivity of the soil. The EC value of the soil can be estimated by measuring the resistivity.
Soil moisture sensor: soil moisture sensors are widely used in smart agriculture to help farmers in real-time, monitor the soil's EC value remotely, and ensure optimal growth of plants.
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